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At times, complicated issues are most clearly understood in simple terms. Speaking before the Knesset in 2006, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu captured, in two brief sentences, that which lies at the heart of the ongoing, centuries-old Arab-Israeli conflict: “The truth is that if Israel were to put down its arms, there would be no more Israel. If the Arabs were to put down their arms, there would be no more war.”

Columbia County’s Blanchard Woods Park long ago made a name for itself in the sporting world with a super-competitive cross-country course. Now its championship soccer fields, already well-known in the Peach Belt Conference, are about to get a maximum exposure upgrade.

As noted in today’s guest column by Columbia County’s new Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Randy DuTeau, the Evans park will play host to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division II Soccer Nationals Championships this weekend.

As Saturday’s Jingle Jam 10K approaches, I’ve admittedly been getting a little obsessive. After years of letting my health and fitness decline, I made a turnaround and earlier this year ran in my first 5K race. I’ve since run two more, and several months ago decided to up the ante by running in the Jingle Jam.

It’s tough, everyone told me. The 6.2 mile course starts and ends at Evans Towne Center Park, but to get back to the finish it follows mostly residential streets with lots of hills.

Eight teams arrived in town this week to compete in the NCAA Division II Soccer National Championships at Blanchard Woods Park. The semi-finals for the four men’s and four women’s teams will be held Thursday and the championship games will take place on Saturday. The event is hosted locally by Columbia County and the Peach Belt Conference.

When then-Code Compliance Officer Jimmy Vowell walked into Erica Masters’ home in July, without permission, he claims he did so out of worries for the safety of the residents in the Martinez home. But when his supervisors fired him, it was because he violated county policy – and denied it until he was caught on tape.

Thanksgiving: everyone’s favorite holiday. Just the right length, all the food we can hold, and time to relax before that other holiday season begins. So, let’s pretend we are children again and answer the age-old question: What were you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Was it something special, or the usual health, family, “good food, good meat, good Lord, let’s eat”?

There is something about U. S. Rep. John Barrow that drives normally even-tempered politicians into a frenzy.

Ever since he upset Republican incumbent Max Burns in 2004 for the 12th District seat, the state’s GOP establishment has made it a priority to drive Barrow out of Congress.

They are still trying.

In 2005, after taking control of the General Assembly, Republicans redrew the 12th District boundary lines to remove Clarke County, where Barrow was raised and served for 14 years on the county commission.